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Specific and Latent Heat Questions
Specific and Latent Heat Questions
Data
Specific heat capacity of aluminium = 910 J kg-1 K-1.
Specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J kg-1 K-1
Specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 335 000 J kg-1
Specific latent heat of evaporation of water 2.26 MJ kg-1
1. How much heat energy is needed to heat 4 kg of aluminium by 8 oC?
2. If 48 000 J of heat energy are given off when a 2 kg block of metal cools by 12 oC,
what is the specific heat capacity of the metal?
3. A 50 W heater is used to heat, an aluminium block with a mass of 5 kg. After 10
minutes the temperature of the block has risen by 4 oC. Calculate:
(a) the heat given out by the heater;
(b) the specific heat capacity of aluminium.
(c) Why is your answer different from the correct value given in the data above?
4. How much heat energy is given out when 3 kg of water at 40 oC cool to 25 oC?
5. How much heat energy is given out when 500 g of steam at 100 oC condenses and
then cools to 50 oC?
6. Why is a scald by steam at 100 oC much more painful than one by water at 100 oC?
7. How long will it take a 50 W heater to melt 2 kg of ice at 0 oC?
2. Specific heat capacity = energy / (m θ) = 48000 / (2 12) = 2000 J kg-1 K-1
4. Heat energy given out = mCθ = 3 4200 (40 – 25) = 189,000 J= 189 kJ
6. Because it has to condense first before cooling so giving out a large amount of
latent heat.
7. Power x time = mL so time = mL/power = 2 335000 / 50 = 670000 / 50 = 13400 s =
223 min = 3.7 hours = 3 hrs 43 minutes
(Assumes no heat lost to the surroundings and the water remains at 0 oC.)